Summer Breeze
by Noa-Pearl
Summary: Reba moves to the suburbs with her eight year old daughter Kyra after her divorce. Reba regrets her decision initially, but things change when she runs into her neighbor, Brock Hart. Brock has his own problems with his wife Barbra Jean and fifteen year old daughter Cheyenne. - More inside. Reba/Brock
1. Prologue

**Summer Breeze**

_Note: Hi guys! I appreciated the kind words after posting 'The River' a lot and decided to start writing a new story. I'm being kind of mean here since this is the prologue and I'm leaving for a week tomorrow, without any internet... Just consider this a little something before I leave, and I promise to update as soon as I can when I get back home ;) ! _  
_Summary: So, kind of an AU this is… Reba moves to the suburbs with her eight year old daughter Kyra after her divorce. Reba regrets her decision initially, but things change when she runs into her neighbor, Brock Hart. Brock has his own problems with his wife Barbra Jean and fifteen year old daughter Cheyenne. Brock and Reba soon find themselves to be enjoying the other's company. But how did things work out with Barbra Jean, who sees Reba as her new best friend, and the return of Reba's ex-husband Jack?_  
_Rating: T_

**_Prologue_**

The wind blew softly as Reba took her first steps outside of her house, enjoying the early morning summer breeze, knowing she'd probably be the only person outside in the quiet suburbs. It was before six in the morning , on a Saturday, yet Reba couldn't continue sleeping. Things were so quiet in the suburbs of Houston, far from what she was used to. The thing that she did enjoy however, was the fact that she was now smelling flowers and grass instead of the smoke she was used to breathing in back in her hometown, which was filthy. The lovely morning scent made her feel a lot brighter.

She slowly wandered through the streets, making sure to not get too far away from her house, knowing her eight year old daughter Kyra was sill soundly asleep. Reba didn't want the little girl to wake up, upset about missing her mother. Reba'd just needed some fresh air though. Moving to another place with a daughter where she'd start a new job and where her daughter had to go to a new school. Yesterday had been moving-in day, and today had been the first day of Reba's job at a real estate company, while Kyra had been off to school. Luckily, Kyra had enjoyed her day perfectly fine and Reba's day hadn't been bad either.

It was tough though, adjusting to a new neighborhood, filled with new people and new standards. Reba sighed as she sat down in on the swing in front of her house, rocking herself slightly as her thoughts wandered off to her former husband, Jack Morgan. Therapist Jack Morgan, who was able to save pretty much every marriage. Except his own. It still hurt Reba when she thought of how her marriage had failed. Her marriage had been great until three years ago, when she and Jack had slowly started to fade away from each other. And then, almost six months ago, she'd ran into him having sex with one of his clients. Jack had tried to talk his way out of it, apologizing, telling her it had been a one time thing and that he only loved her. When she walked in on him having sex with that same woman again, Reba had known things were over. It had been hard, leaving the man she'd spent a huge part of her life with, the father of her beautiful daughter… But it had been for the best. The feeling of regret did come along often though. Reba often wondered if leaving Jack and moving away had been the right thing to do.

Reba's thoughts got interrupted when she heard some rattling close to her and Reba looked around to see what was causing that sound. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

A voice popped up in front of her, and Reba saw a man approaching her. The first thing that went through her head was that if he was about to murder her, no one would be able to hear a thing. Stupid suburbs. Luckily, the man spoke up again. "Again, don't mean to scare you… I live next-door. I was about to take a walk when I saw you sitting there. You're the new neighbor, huh?"

A tall, blonde man with tanned skin appeared now in full sight and Reba smiled slightly. "Yeah, sorry, I haven't had time for introductions. I'm Reba McKinney."

Their hands met as the man said: "Nice to meet you, Reba. I'm Brock Hart. How do you like this street so far?"

Reba shrugged. "It's… Quiet. But very beautiful."

"Where you're from then, with this being so quiet?"

Brock Hart listened as the redhead in front of him spoke. She was pretty. Pale, freckled skin. Red hair way passed her shoulders, beautiful in contrast with her blue eyes. Thin, curves on the right places. Yes, she was gorgeous.

"I did live in Houston… Just not in the suburbs. It's just strange, to suddenly have all this space. Flowers, silence… I just have to get used to it, I guess."

Brock was about to reply when the voice of a small girl was heard from within the house. Reba immediately got up and said: "Sorry… I have to go, that's my daughter."

Brock nodded, wondering if the father of the girl and the woman's husband wasn't there yet, as he said: "Of course. It was nice meeting you, Reba, I'll see you around."

Reba smiled. "Sure."

She disappeared inside her house, finding her daughter next to the stairs as she said: "Hey baby."

"I was looking for you, mommy."

"I heard, I'm sorry, I was outside. You can get back to bed, tons of time to sleep."

The little girl –the spitting image of Reba with her long, red hair,- sighed and said: "I miss daddy."

"I know, baby, I'm sorry. He'll come pick you up soon, you know that, after his conference."

When Kyra was sound asleep again, Reba curled up in her own bed as well. She hoped she'd been honest to her daughter, that her father indeed would come see her in a bit. With Jack, you never knew. Her thoughts slowly drifted away to the man she'd just met, Brock. Seemed to be a nice guy. Quite handsome, too. Perhaps he and his wife would have children too?

While Reba slowly drifted off to sleep again, Brock sat down with a cup of coffee on his own porch. It wasn't like he was gonna get any sleep now anyway. His wife, Barbra Jean, had been snoring loudly when he got upstairs after his talk with his new neighbor. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping because of it anymore, and instead of lying on the couch, he decided to sit outside and think.

His marriage sucked. It was that simple. Brock had been in love with Barbra Jean, definitely. She was a great mom for their daughter, Cheyenne. But his feelings for her were gone. Absolutely gone. He hated how she could be over –excited about pretty much everything. How she had a Beanie Babies collection bigger than most kids. How she would flirt with every single good-looking guy and be upset about him not being upset about it. Yes, their marriage was slowly crumbling down in a million pieces. Leaving Cheyenne without her mother or himself seemed awful though. He didn't want his daughter to grow up with either one of them missing. But being stuck in a loveless marriage seemed to be far from ideal though.

___Note: Let me know if you guys would like to read more, I'd love to hear from you! xx._


	2. Collision

_****Note: Hi guys! Thanks so much for the sweet reviews, it's so great knowing there are people looking forward to more! I hope this won't disappoint any of you, please enjoy! xx._

_**1. Collision **_

Brock stood in front of Reba's door, debating on whether it was good idea or not to knock on the door to ask her if she needed any help. She'd definitely been polite the evening before, yet he had a sense she wasn't at all interested in pursuing any kind of relationship with him. But perhaps that was just his imagination; he'd barely spoken to her after all. Brock felt drawn to the redhead though. He decided not to think again and just knock. He heard some rumbling inside and was surprised to see a tiny redheaded girl open the door.

"Hey."

The girl didn't reply and Brock shrugged, feeling slightly uncomfortable as the redheaded girl was eying him, not shy in any kind of way. He scratched his head before he said: "Ehm… I'm looking for your mom, is she around?"

"Kyra! How many times have I told you to not just open the…"

Reba appeared in the doorway, planning on scolding her daughter, but was caught with surprise when she found her neighbor in front of the door. "Oh. Brock, hi."

"Hi." Brock was taken aback by the redhead, wearing a pair of tight jeans and her hair tousled in a bun on her head. She looked cute. Reba was surprised to find her neighbor in front of the door again, looking quite good in his jeans and black sweater. "So… Ehm…. Kyra, honey, this is our neighbor, Brock."

Kyra was still eying Brock suspiciously as she said: "I'm Kyra. You look kind of orange."

Reba chuckled and Brock raised his eyebrow as he murmured: "That's what we call a tan," before turning back to Reba, who gently told Kyra to go and play in the yard, which the girl did. Reba was still chuckling slightly as she said: "Sorry about that. Us pale-freckled-skin people aren't very familiar with that tan of yours."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Brock was slightly annoyed, but most of all, amused. That girl was a sweetheart, despite her comment. "I just came over to see if you needed some help, I haven't seen your husband yet."

Reba's face darkened slightly and Brock immediately regretted his choice of words. "There is no husband. And it's a kind offer of you but Kyra and I can handle it just fine, thanks." Reba was about to tell the man to leave –his noisy attitude bothered her and she just wanted some rest,- when he said: "I'm sorry. I just… I just couldn't imagine a woman as.. As beautiful as you being here on her own."

Reba blushed slightly, affected by the man's words and his eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. She got her feisty attitude back quickly though and said: "Well… Now that you're here then, I suggest you come and move some boxes upstairs."

As the two made their way upstairs with Reba's boxes she said: "So, why are you helping you're new neighbor moving on a Saturday instead of spending time with your family?"

Brock scoffed slightly before he realized he did as he put the boxes in what appeared to be Reba's bedroom as he said: "The ladies are still sleeping. Aren't exactly morning persons. They could sleep the entire day if I let 'em."

Reba smiled as she realized Brock had a daughter. "Ah, so you have a daughter?"

"Yeah, Cheyenne… She's a bit older than Kyra though, she's fifteen. Beautiful girl. Just wish she wouldn't be following as much in her mother's footsteps as she does." His last sentence again made him think, knowing that wasn't a nice thing to say.

Reba raised an eyebrow as she said: "Ah… Okay. Let's get some other boxes."

"I know that sounds crazy. Me and my wife, we're just not doing that well lately." Brock was about to continue talking, sensing he could trust the redhead in front of him with every fiber in his body. He knew it was inappropriate though; they barely knew each other. "I'm sorry, again something I shouldn't have said. Let's get downstairs."

Nodding, Reba disappeared, Brock following close behind her. Reba was wondering what exactly could be so bad about his wife for him to say something like that to an almost complete stranger. What seemed odd though, was that it wasn't even weirding her out. In fact, she didn't even mind.

* * *

"Honey, have you seen the people moving in next to us yet? I'm so curious!" A bouncy blonde kissed Brock's cheek as he walked into the kitchen, his wife apparently oblivious to his slightly sweating forehead and the fact that he'd been gone for almost two hours.

Barbra Jean was a sweet woman, she definitely was. But she was so oblivious to many things around her, yet, at the same time, she was aware of everything everyone did. Brock knew he should've broken off everything that made them husband and wife a long time ago; but it was hard.

"I actually just met them. A woman and her daughter. They seem nice."

"Ah, a new friend! That will be so much fun!"

There was the over-excitement again. Brock tried to suppress a sigh. He knew he was irritated with basically everything his wife did, and he knew that wasn't fair. "I'm gonna get up and take a shower."

Barbra Jean nodded. "Okay. I was thinking about taking Cheyenne to the mall this afternoon."

Brock nodded "Sure," before he left her behind in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Barbra Jean watched him disappear, slightly upset with his blunt behavior. She knew something had been bothering him for a long time now but she was afraid to ask. Barbra Jean sensed it had to do with their marriage, which was why she was afraid to ask; she was scared he would leave her.

After both her and Cheyenne had eaten their French toast, Barbra Jean decided to pay a visit to the neighbors. Brock hadn't been very talkative about them and Barbra Jean wondered why that was. The first thing Barbra Jean noticed, were the lovely flowers in the front yard of the house, accompanied by a double swing, meant for people to sit on and perhaps drink tea. It was beautiful. Excited for what was to come, Barbra Jean rang the doorbell.

Barbra Jean was excited when a redhead opened the door, piercing blue eyes watching her as she said with a big Texas accent: "Hi! How can I help you?"

"I just wanted to come and say hi, I live next door! I think you already met my husband, Brock?"

Ah. So that was the wife. Reba thought she seemed nice though. A little bit too excited, perhaps. But most definitely nice. "Hi, it's very nice to meet you, I'm Reba McKinney."

"Barbra Jean."

Reba then turned to the girl standing next to the tall blonde. "And you must be Cheyenne, then. You're dad told me about you already."

"Hi miss McKinney." She politely gave Reba a hand as Reba said: "Oh please, call me Reba."

* * *

Ever since that first meeting, Barbra Jean came over to Reba's house quite often. After only a week, Reba felt as if Barbra Jean was some sort of a friend. And she had to admit, it was nice to have someone around to talk to and have coffee with, even though she indeed was sometimes far too excited. Cheyenne and Kyra surprisingly got along as well, though Kyra went insane every now and then since Cheyenne loved using Kyra as her personal make-up doll. Brock hadn't been there as much though. Reba had a feeling he was surprised by the way she and Barbra Jean were behaving, and perhaps he was now feeling slightly awkward about admitting his doubt over his relationship to her?

Reba had another sleepless night after Barbra Jean had left about three hours ago, insisting it was time for both of them to get some sleep. Reba knew she needed it too, yet she was again rocking herself slightly in the swing on her porch.

The sleepless nights were still going strong and it bothered Reba. A lot. Especially since it was Jack who was still causing them. Reba hated to admit it, but she was missing him. She missed his smile, his body against hers, keeping her warm at night… She hated it, but she did.

"Can't sleep?"

She recognized Brock's soft voice immediately and she found him on her right, gazing over the green plants that separated their yards.

"No… My mind's running a marathon, it seems."

Brock walked around to reach Reba's garden as he said: "Yeah, so is mine."

Without hesitation, he sat down next to Reba in the swing, who said: "I haven't seen you around that much lately."

Brock chuckled. "Well, I have work to do, you know. Being a dentist in a suburb unfortunately means that people want you to work outside of the normal hours as well. Takes up more time than I wish it did."

"Hmm, I understand."

They were quiet for a while, until Brock dared to ask: "So what is it exactly that's bothering you enough to keep you from sleeping?"

Reba sighed. She didn't really felt like discussing Jack. She hadn't talked to Barbra Jean about it either, though the woman was eager to find out more about her ex-husband. But Brock's eyes on her made her wanna talk, as if he was able to put some kind of spell on her. "It's my ex-husband."

Brock eyed her, not sure what to say next. Okay, so she had an ex-husband. That made sense, considering she had a child. Reba glanced at him, relieved to see him just watching her, not a single judgmental look on his face. Then again, he wasn't aware of the entire story. "We divorced, not too long ago. He cheated on me.. Couple of times, actually, I'm still not sure how many times and I don't even wanna know. How stupid is it that I still wish he was here with me? That I can't sleep because I keep thinking about him?"

Reba felt relieved about finally sharing her problems, yet felt embarrassed as well. Brock looked at her, aware of her sudden shyness. Her hair was in a ponytail, showing off her beautiful face perfectly. She was wearing a tank top, sweatpants underneath. She was a catch. And it made him angry that someone had hurt her the way he did. "Reba… A man should be happy to be with you. Only you. If he's not able to do that…. He's a jerk. You deserve so much better. I know that won't make your feelings towards him go away, but you have to keep that in mind."

A small smile appeared on her lips. Reba appreciated the words the man had said. "That's sweet. Thanks, Brock."

"You're very welcome."

They both smiled, and Reba was surprised to find a small jolt of electricity in her stomach when their eyes met. Reba got up, wondering what that feeling was about, as she said: "I'm gonna go upstairs now.. I promised Kyra to go to the zoo with her tomorrow."

"That's nice. I should get some rest, too."

Brock stood up straight next to her as Reba nodded in agreement. "Yes, you should. Thanks, Brock. I really appreciate what you just said."

She stood on her tiptoes, ready to kiss his cheek as Brock turned, planning on replying to her words with telling her that it had just been the truth. This caused Reba's lips to brush against Brock's lips instead of his cheek. Reba knew she was supposed to pull away immediately; he was a married man. His lips felt good though. Soft, firm.

Brock's surprise was big. He was aware of the fact that this kiss probably wasn't Reba's plan. Yet he didn't mind. Even though he was a married man. He was drawn to Reba like a moth was to a flame, even though he knew that would equal trouble. He was about to deepen their kiss when Reba broke their kiss, her cheeks flushed as she was breathing slightly heavy. "I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. Good night."

She disappeared inside of her house immediately, embarrassed, not only with what had just happened, also about how she felt. Brock looked after her, even after the door had long been closed. A slight summer breeze cooled down his heated body as he thought about what had just happened. Why was he having the feeling that he hadn't been the only one enjoying the collision of their lips?

_Note: Liked it thusfar, hated it? Please let me know, I love hearing from you! Had some setting up to do in this chapter and the previous one, but be aware of some interesting things coming up sooon ;-) ! x. _


	3. Sleeping Beauty

_****Note: Hi guys! Thanks for the sweet messages about this story, their very much appreciated! Here's the next chapter, hope you like it! Just a small warning; perhaps there's a slight bit of M-rated content in the beginning. Soo... Be aware, haha! X. _

_**2. Sleeping Beauty**_

_"I need to talk to you."_

_Brock came bursting into her living room, not even bothering to knock. Reba raised her eyebrows, suddenly very much aware of the silk, short robe she was wearing as she said: "Didn't you learn to knock?"_

_"This is important, listen to me…"_

_Brock was breathing heavily and it scared Reba. Was there something wrong with Kyra? She'd been having a sleepover with Cheyenne. Her heart started throbbing as Brock grabbed her shoulders lightly._

_"Reba.. I don't want you to take this the wrong way…"_

_Reba knew he was trying to be nice, but she cut him off. "Talk."_

_"I know this is wrong… Especially after I told you a man should love his wife, and his wife only. But you're the only person I think of. I dream about you, think about how it feels to kiss you, touch you.. Make love to you."_

_This wasn't something wrong with Kyra. This was far worse. But damn, he looked good. And he smelled good. His mouth moved closer to hers as he whispered: "You can always say stop…"_

_She didn't. She hungrily accepted his lips, his tongue immediately pushing against her teeth as he pushed her into the wall, both panting heavily. His hands searched underneath her silk robe, searching for an entrance between her legs. She opened them without hesitation, waiting for his fingers to find her most intimate spot. Brock kissed her neck as he slowly slid his thumb inside her, enjoying the moans escaping from her lips. He added another finger, pumping them both slowly. "You like that?"_

"Aaah!"

Reba sat up straight, covered in sweat, as she looked around her bedroom. She was alone. She tried to get her breath under control again as she took a look at her alarm clock, indicating that it was almost nine in the morning. She had been dreaming. A very, very intense dream. A dream that she –although she hated to admit,- had actually been enjoying.

How awful was that? She sighed, making her way over to her bathroom to get out of the sweatpants and shirt she was wearing, changing it for a silk, green robe. She tied it as she looked into the mirror, realizing it was the robe she'd been wearing in her dream. For a second, she thought about taking it off again. But she knew that was being silly, so she decided to just make her way downstairs, where she found Kyra watching a cartoon.

"Hey baby! Slept well?"

She kissed her daughter's cheek as the girl mumbled: "Yeah, but I'm hungry."

"I'm sorry, honey. Wake me up next time, promise?"

The little girl shrugged. "Okay! Can I have pancakes? With strawberries, please."

* * *

The zoo seemed awfully crowded, but Reba figured it would be the perfect place to keep her mind off of Brock, her dream and their chaste kiss. She took Kyra's hand as she said: "Where do you wanna go first, honey?"

"I wanna see the sharks!"

Kyra's excitement made Reba chuckle, though she wished her daughter would like the cute animals, such as pandas or elephants instead of sharks; she loathed them. "Okay, that's where we're heading then."

They were about to start walking to the zoo when they heard a familiar voice. "Kyra! Kyra, wait up!"

Cheyenne appeared in both Kyra and Reba's sight. "Cheyenne! What are you doing here?"

The older girl shrugged. "My dad felt like going to the zoo. Says he liked the polar bears en tigers. He wanted me to come along, so I did."

It was then that Brock appeared, panting, as he said: "Cheyenne, honey, you know you don't have to be ashamed of going to the zoo."

The girl raised her eyebrows. "Whatever, dad. Can we go now? Where were you guys going, Kyra?"

"We were about to see the sharks!"

Cheyenne made a face; she wasn't too big of a fan of sharks. She nevertheless grabbed the younger girls hand. "Okay, let's go."

They started walking, making the two adults walk as well. Reba wasn't sure what to do. She didn't believe a word Brock had said; he definitely had been the one wanting to go to the zoo. "So…. Brock… Cheyenne wanted to go to the zoo, huh?"

Brock chuckled. She was seeing right through him. But he wasn't going to tell her that. He had indeed wanted to go to the zoo knowing Reba was there. Her lips on his had stirred up some feelings inside of him that he wished he hadn't; it would have made things a lot easier. But he had started falling for her from the very first day they had met and it made him curious to see if she felt the same way. He wanted to divorce Barbra Jean; he had for a long time. His feelings for Reba made him even more determined to do so.

"Like I said… She just loves this place."

"I'm sure she does…"

They slowly walked behind the two children, who were both beyond excited. It had surprised Brock how good Cheyenne was with Kyra; she usually didn't like smaller children. He sighed before he said: "Reba, listen, about last night…"

Her cheeks turned red as soon as he started talking about it, and he wondered if she felt that bad about it. Little did he know that the first thing on her mind was her dream. "I know what happened yesterday shouldn't have happened. But I think you're very beautiful… And I like you very much."

Reba almost chocked in the peppermint she'd just put into her mouth. That was unexpected. And she hated that it actually made her excited. She bit her lip and looked at Brock. Yes, he was very attractive. But very much married too. "Yeah… Well, and I think you're kind of married, that's all that counts."

She immediately made her way to the kids, planning on avoiding Brock as much as possible.

* * *

"Hey!"

Reba was surprised to find Barbra Jean on her doorstep that evening. She looked sad though and Reba was afraid for the reason of it.

"Hey Reba… Can we talk for a bit?"

"Of course… What's wrong, Barbra Jean? You want some tea?"

The blonde sat down. "Some wine will do better, thanks Reba."

Reba appeared a few seconds later with a glass of wine and a cup of tea as she said: "So… What's going on?"

Barbra Jean looked as if she was about to cry as she said: "I know it's weird that I'm here, talking to you. But you see… I… I feel you're one of my best friends, even though we've just met. You're a great person and I trust you. Is…. Is that okay?"

The redhead nodded, touched by the words of the woman in front of her. It made her a bit nervous too though; would Barbra Jean still consider her a great person if she would know she had kissed her husband?

"The thing is, Reba… I think he wants a divorce."

Reba's eyes narrowed slightly as she said: "What gives you that idea? I know you guys are going through some tough times, but that doesn't mean you guys should separate."

"I heard him on the phone, Reba. I heard him say something about papers and about me signing them… And then he said he still had to discuss it with me. What other possibility is there for him to talk about?"

"Have you asked him about it?" Reba rubbed her temples. This was difficult, especially since she now had a feeling Brock was being too impulsive. Brock had told her he liked her. That wasn't the reason for him filing for the divorce now, was it? He'd told her they had problems for a while now.

"I'm scared, Reba… We're having issues, yes… But I don't want Cheyenne to miss one of her parents. Besides, Brock and I loved each other once… How hard will it be to get that feeling back again?"

Reba didn't reply, not so sure of what to say. Luckily for her, Barbra Jean started talking again. "Can't you go talk to him, Reba? He likes you… He always says how much he appreciates is to have you as a neighbor, and how much he likes it that Cheyenne and Kyra are friends.. Please, Reba?"

"Barbra Jean… I'm not sure I'm the right person for this job, it's about your marriage."

"Please, Reba?"

* * *

"Hi Reba! So, Barbra Jean told me you needed someone to look at your sink, what's going on?" Brock walked into Reba's house around ten that evening with a small smile on her face, happy to see her again. She looked lovely. She had changed into a pair of black sweatpants and a tight top.

Reba felt a bit awkward. But she'd promised Barbra Jean she would give it a try, though it wasn't completely voluntarily. "Yeah, that's not really true… Listen, I don't want to have this conversation with you but Barbra Jean asked me to. She told me she heard you on the phone, talking about her and signing papers… She's afraid you want a divorce, Brock… Is that true?"

Ah. So that was why Barbra Jean had been acting even odder than usual. "Ah. So that's what's bothering her."

"That's not my question. Did you call your lawyer about a divorce or not?"

Brock caught her eyes and he smiled briefly. She was too cute. "Reba, she shouldn't have involved you in this."

She threw her hands in the air as she groaned: "Well, that's kind of hard since I was already in the middle thanks to both of you!"

"Reba…. I want to divorce Barbra Jean. And I know you think it has to do with you but it doesn't. Although I do have to admit that I like you."

Reba was able to slap his face, but she tried to keep her cool as she said: "And how do you think that'll work out? Hey, Barbra Jean, I want a divorce to start dating our neighbor? You're a freakin' moron."

He chuckled; the way moron rolled of her tongue was thoroughly enjoyable. But perhaps she was right. Brock was about to reply, but Reba beat him to the spot as he said: "Brock… You guys should try therapy. Maybe it's just a phase…"

"A two-year phase?"

Brock sighed as he said: "I'm sorry for coming to you with this and telling you I like you… I should go, you're busy enough with your new job and the house."

He turned around and walked away, and even though Reba definitely agreed on his last words, she followed him. Glad the small breeze outside wasn't too cold for her outfit, she said: "Brock, wait…"

"What?"

Their eyes locked and for a short moment, Reba wished she could forget all her morals and the fact that there were other people around. That man had something she adored. She blinked, trying to get out of her small daydream before she cleared her throat. "Listen… Just… Just try the therapy for a few times. It won't hurt you. And, just for the record, I don't mind you talking to me... About everything. Well, not everything. But you know what I mean."

Brock smiled at her words, appreciating the things she'd said. He couldn't resist walking over her to hug her, not only feeling warm from the words she'd said, but also her body. She felt good. "I really appreciate that, Reba. Thanks a lot."

Reba knew she wasn't supposed to enjoy the hug the way she did, but she decided to let it pass. She didn't want him to cheat on Barbra Jean, and definitely not with her. But being Brock's friend would definitely not be a difficult thing for her to do. That dream kept nagging her though, and she just hoped she wouldn't have it again.

_****Note: That's it for now... Hope it was okay, please let me know! xx._


	4. Run Around Town

_****Note: Hi guys, thanks so much for all the kind words, they're very much appreciated. Here's the next chapter, please enjoy! X. _

_**Chapter 3: Run around town. **_

Reba closed the door of her house, ready to take jog around the block, as she heard a voice call out her name. "Hey Reba, what are you up to?"

She knew immediately that it was Brock, but was surprised to find him dressed in sportswear as well. "I was about to take a run… What about you?"

"Me, too!"

He looked a little bit too excited and Reba raised her eyebrow. "Ah… So you run more often?"

Brock nodded, but started to get a little nervous. Reba was looking at him from top to toe, and currently, it was giving him any satisfaction.

"And you didn't decide to start running just because Cheyenne mentioned to you she was watching Kyra while I went for a jog?"

The man in front of her gulped, but shook his head. Reba was still not sure about his motives but figured she would get to know the truth any time soon. She nodded. "Okay. Well, I suggest we start running then, unless you'd prefer to run on your own."

He shook his head immediately. "No, not at all!"

Reba didn't even reply anymore and took off, leaving Brock behind. Fuck. This was going to be tough. He started jogging after her, admiring her as she was wearing her tight yoga pants; she looked gorgeous. She was fast though and he could barely keep up with her. He was only running for a minute now and he could already feel the sweat forming on his forehead. Perhaps he should start working on his running again instead of his muscles.

A chuckle escaped from Reba's lips as she looked behind her, finding Brock struggling slightly. She knew he wasn't a frequent runner. Or well, she hadn't known it, but she had a feeling he wasn't too fond of it. She wasn't about to let him give up that easily though. He was almost able to keep up with her and Reba decided to push herself a little bit more, running a bit faster again. She could hear Brock sigh behind her loudly.

She again casted a glance behind her and said: "Doing good, Brock?"

"Absolutely perfect, Reba!" Brock tried to look his best, as if it wasn't at all hard for him to keep up with her. Unfortunately, it was.

As Reba enjoyed the fresh air around her and the heath of the sun that was slowly disappearing, Brock prayed Reba was trying to catch a break soon. He was broken. Done. The worst thing was that he had to run back as well. Reba was giving her all though; she wasn't about to let him think he was able to give a perfect performance.

Five minutes later, Brock was done. Although he had to admit he loved staring at Reba's legs and butt, he was out of breath, out of air, and was soon about to fall down. "Reba… Reba, wait, wait… I…. I need a break."

Reba chuckled before plastering a serious look on her face as she looked behind her. "Brock, we've only been running for ten minutes or so. You're kidding, right?"

Ten minutes? Had it only been ten minutes? "Reba… Please…"

She wasn't slowing down though, and Brock finally give in as he yelled with his last breath: "Okay, you caught me, I lied. I hate running, I can't run… Please, just, stop now."

Reba slowed down and started walking, turning around so she faced Brock and chuckled. "I knew my gut wasn't lying to me."

"What do you mean," Brock asked between taking breaths as he finally walked next to Reba.

"I mean that I already had a feeling you weren't such a runner. This is payback for lying to me, mister."

Brock didn't even have the energy to fight her. "Can we just sit, please?"

"Sitting right after running is bad for your body after such intense exercise."

She continued walking, but Brock spotted a bench and grabbed her arm, jacking her into the direction of it under loud protest of Reba. "I need to sit, Reba."

He fell down on the bench and Reba chuckled again. "Geez, you're such a baby."

Brock was panting loudly as he replied: "Yeah, well, I prefer golf. Makes me look a lot better too, I probably look like crap, covered in sweat."

"Don't be ridiculous, that's what happens when you work-out, you know. Besides, you look fine." Reba regretted her sentence immediately and before Brock could reply, she said: "So, tell me about the therapy… You went yesterday for the first time, right? I haven't seen Barbra Jean yet… How was it?"

His shrugging wasn't convincing her it went well, but she eagerly waited for his reply. No matter how much she wished her feelings for Brock would disappear, they didn't. She hated how she kept feeling like a teenager when he was around, how she loved the way she could make fun of him and how she appreciated talking to him. It was insane. She hoped their therapy would work out perfectly fine. That way there wasn't even the slightest possibility for her to even try something with the man in front of her.

"I'm not so sure… She started flirting with the therapist the moment we walked in…. And I still didn't make me upset. And that guy kept nagging about how I felt." He made a stupid face when he said those words, which almost made Reba smile, but she tried to keep her face straight. "I… I just think that if you don't even know how you feel, it's already said and done. If I was angry, upset, hurt about anything… That would've meant there were still feelings. But not feeling anything at all.. Isn't that a sign that says it all?"

Their eyes met and Reba instantly knew he was telling her the truth. God, she loved his eyes. She quickly looked down, not wanting to drown in his eyes, as she said: "Okay… So what does that mean?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Barbra Jean really wants to try, so I'll go another time. Two or three, maybe, see where that's heading. But I know what I want." His eyes settled on the redhead next to him. He wanted her.

Although Reba still looked down, she felt his eyes burning on her, making her shuffle slightly as she started to feel uncomfortable. "Yeah… Well… I…"

"I what?" Brock couldn't help himself as he gently cupped her chin, moving it up so she was facing him. She still didn't say a word though. "What did you want to say, Reba?"

Reba gulped. God, this was tough. She just wanted to tell him that she thought he should give it his best try. But when he looked at her like that… She just wished he stopped trying at all and just was hers. Reba hated herself for thinking like that. She broke their eye contact as she said: "I think I should get home."

She got up, and without another word, she started running. Brock knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with her. He stayed put, sighing out loud. Was Reba even attracted to him? He could tell she got nervous around him sometimes. But perhaps that was because she really felt uncomfortable with him because she wasn't attracted to him.

* * *

Brock sneaked out of his bed late that evening, hoping to find Reba on her swing. He had gotten so used to seeing her there every once in a while that it actually made him sad she wasn't there now. He had to talk to her though. Brock had enough of his fooling around and wanted to know if Reba felt the same. He knew he would be hurt if she didn't. He also knew that he was being completely unfair to Barbra Jean. His feelings for Reba were so strong though, without even knowing her that well. He had to find out how she felt.

As he walked outside, he noticed all lights were out, indicating they were all asleep. He knew Reba slept at the front of the house, the first window on the left of the second floor – what helping her move in was useful for,-. He picked up a few tiny little stones from under his feet. He knew it was awfully cheesy, but he decided anyway to throw them on to her window. She needed to wake up.

Which was what Reba did. The ticking noise made her open her eyes, and she immediately had a sense it was Brock. Who else would be throwing stones onto her window at one a.m. ? Reba opened the curtains and then opened the window, not at all feeling the urge to go downstairs. She tried to not be too loud as she hissed: "Jesus, Brock, what are you…"

Reba wasn't able to finish her sentence as a stinging pain suddenly burned on her forehead. She groaned in frustration when she realized it was a little stone that Brock had been throwing. Brock figured that out too.

"Reba, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were already standing there…"

"Keep your voice down!"

"Then come to the front door…"

"After you assaulting me with a stone? Moron."

"Reba, come on… I'm gonna throw stones until you do."

After that comment, Reba immediately stepped away from the window and closed it, not at all feeling the idea of having some more things thrown against her head. For a minute, Brock was afraid she wouldn't get down. He was glad when the door opened and Reba stepped outside, dressed in a pair of shorts and a tight top, closing the door behind her while she held her keys in her hand.

"Aren't you going to get cold?"

"I'm not going to stand here for hours, Brock. Why are you having the urge to throw stones to my window at this hour?"

"I needed to talk to you… After you ran away so abruptly during our run."

Reba sighed. "Brock, if that's really what you're here for, I think you should go. I'm tired, I want to sleep."

She was about to turn when he grabbed her hand. "Reba… I just… Listen to me. I just need to know something."

Her eyebrow raised and Reba knew she should return and leave him behind. Her curiosity got the best of her though.

"Reba…. Regardless of what's happening with me and Barbra Jean right now…. I like you. I liked you the moment I saw you and just, for the record, you're not the reason me and Barbra Jean are over. Or well, almost over, however you want to name it. I know I'm putting you in a difficult decision here, but I just need you to tell me if you feel the same."

"If I want things with you to be over too?"

She was almost able to chuckle about her own stupid joke, but Brock didn't let her. "Don't always try to make jokes when you're nervous. You know what I mean, answer me…"

His hand was still holding on to her arm as their eyes met. Reba didn't want to answer him. Barbra Jean was her neighbor, was becoming her friend…. How was she supposed to tell her she was attracted to her husband? That wasn't some they could easily discuss over coffee. "Brock…"

"Just be honest, Reba."

She bit her lip as she turned her head, not wanting to look into his eyes as she said: "I don't want this, Brock. It doesn't matter how I feel about you. You're married, you shouldn't even be thinking this way. All fine that you're getting divorced, but don't….. Just don't. I'm not able to do this now and I won't be able to do this after you and Barbra Jean are over."

"Just tell me how you feel…" He lifted her chin up and made her look at him again, rubbing his thumb over her chin lightly.

"Brock… I… I like you. I….I do. But this just can't happen. I can't do that to Barbra Jean."

Brock nodded. He understood. He did. But he really wished he could kiss her rosy lips again. Hold her close to his body, feel her warmth and caress her skin. He moved his other hand to her hip and moved her closer. He smelled her perfume, a mix of jasmine and vanilla it seemed, as he whispered: "Don't be like that. Just…. Just think."

"I already did, Brock. Please, let me go, I need to sleep."

She knew she sounded weak; she wished she could be just mean and awful and kiss him. "Reba…"

Brock was about to move closer when Reba was able to shake him off. "Go home, Brock. I'll see you later."

Reba disappeared into her house as fast as she could, leaving Brock behind. He hated it. How was he ever going to be able to make her love him and be okay with it?

_Note: Hi guys, that's it for now. Hope you all liked it. Wonder where you guys think this is heading? As always, I love hearing from you! xx._


	5. Pizza Time

_****Note: Hi guys! Sorry for taking so long to update, I've been super busy with school so it took me a while to get this finished. Thanks for all the sweet reviews, I really appreciate them! Hope you guys enjoy it! xx._

_**Chapter 3: Pizza time. **_

"Hey Reba!"

It was Saturday, exactly ten in the morning, and it wasn't such a big surprise to Reba to find Barbra Jean on her doorstep. Brock following behind her however, was. They barely came 'round Reba's place together, since usually, both loved vending about each other to the redhead.

"Hi…. What's going on?"

The other two adults brushed pass her and as soon as Reba closed her front door, they started arguing.

"So, Reba, Brock here is mad about me asking our therapist to go out on a date…. With you." Barbra Jean pointed into Brock's direction as she looked at Reba, anxious to find out what Reba would say.

Reba wasn't sure she'd heard those words correctly. "What did you just say?"

Barbra Jean opened her mouth, but Brock beat her to the spot. "She said that she'd asked our therapist to go out with you, and I quote… 'I have this gorgeous red-headed friend. Can you go out with her, please? Her husband just cheated on her and she needs to get laid.' "

Reba's mouth fell open as Barbra Jean yelled: "Brock, don't say it like that, I was trying to be a good friend!"

"Good friends don't do those things without each other's permission, Barbra Jean."

"Oh shut up, Brock, you know I was trying to do something good."

"It's our therapist, Barbra Jean, what were you thinking?"

"Okay, stop!" Reba's loud yell made the other two adults stop arguing immediately as they focused on Reba again, who try to gain her own, calm voice back again. "First of all, Kyra's upstairs, and I'm not interested in her hearing you guys yell over something this stupid. Second, stop arguing at all. Third…." Reba paused for a bit. She was really not that happy with Barbra Jean's action, but she knew the blonde woman had done it in all honesty and had indeed been trying to be a good friend. She wasn't too sure about why Brock was being so mean to her about it though, although she had the faintest idea. Without actually thinking about it, Reba said: "Third… Brock, why would it be so awful for me to go out with your therapist? Assuming it's a good man, of course?"

Brock stared for a minute. There she had him. He had a feeling she was perfectly aware of his reasons for not wanting him to go out on a date with their therapist. Besides him not wanting to for out with anyone but him, there was also the fact that the therapist was not only a fun and nice man, he was also quite good-looking. According to Barbra Jean, that was. Brock as too scared of Reba actually liking that guy; no way he was going to risk her falling for him. What was he supposed to say now? He scraped his throat lightly. "Well, ehm… I just don't think we should push you into anything. I mean, you've only been divorced for a short time, I'm sure you would be perfectly fine with arranging your own date if you wanted to. I'm sure of that."

Yeah, with you, huh, Reba thought. "I see… Well, Brock, that's very thoughtful of you. And Barbra Jean, I think it's very sweet of you to do that. In some kind of way, I guess. But, even though I hate to admit it, Brock is right." Reba turned so she was facing Brock, hoping her words were going to be very clear to him as well. "I don't want to date anyone, not now."

Brock was aware of what she was doing and he hoped she knew he wasn't gonna give up on her. He took a deep breath before he said: "This.. Well, this wasn't everything we wanted to tell you… Right, Barbra Jean?"

"Oh, yeah, right." Barbra Jean grabbed Reba's hand and said: "I know this is gonna upset you very much, but we wanted to tell you first. This is going to sound silly, but you're our best friend, you really are. Brock and I… We decided to get a divorce. It's better for both of us, and for Cheyenne as well."

Reba wasn't that surprised to hear those words; Brock had already told her he wasn't planning on continuing his marriage. She was slightly shocked though, mostly because of Barbra Jean's attitude. Reba thought she would've been very upset, but she wasn't. She almost seemed relieved. "Okay… Well, I'm very sorry to hear that…"

"Naah, don't be." Barbra Jean waved Reba's sorry away. "We both know it's for the best, it's all good, I'm sure about that."

* * *

Barbra Jean left a few minutes later, heading to Cheyenne's ballet class to pick the girl up. Brock didn't look as if he was going to move any time soon though. He just looked at Reba, staring at the slender legs that were showing. The silk robe she was wearing was definitely looking good on her. "Like the robe, Reba."

"I bet… When are you guys gonna tell Cheyenne about the divorce?"

"Later today. I think she's already suspecting something though. She'd old enough to do so, at least."

Reba nodded, moving so she was behind the counter, knowing Brock wouldn't be able to stare at her legs anymore. Yes, she was flattered. But it made her too self-conscious. "So, Barbra Jean agreed with you… I didn't really expect that, to be honest."

"She knew it would be better… For both of us."

Brock wanted to say more, but they got interrupted when Kyra came running down the stairs and into the kitchen. The little girl always managed to surprise Reba when she was around Brock; she suddenly became a lot less of a tomboy and much more of a girly girl. "Hi Brock!" The girl threw her hands around Brock's legs and said: "When can we do something fun again? It's been so long!"

A chuckle escaped from Brock's lips. "Well, honey, I'm sure we can think of something. How about me taking you and Cheyenne out for pizza tonight?"

Kyra let go of his leg and nodded. "I like pizza."

"I know. You have to ask your mommy though."

Brock looked at Reba, who as smiling before turning to her daughter. "Can I mom? Please?"

"Of course you can, honey. Brock will pick you up tonight!"

Kyra made a little jump before yelling she was already hungry and then took off, making her way to the garden.

Reba looked after her daughter. "I'm glad you're taking her, Brock. She really, really likes it. And I appreciate it too. It's… It's been hard on her without her father. I don't know why Jack's barely been calling her, not to mention visiting her. Like I said, she loves spending time with you and I really appreciate it that you do."

She looked up again when she felt Brock's hand on her arm. His head was close to hers as he said: "I'm happy to do so. She's a great little girl, Reba. Takes after her beautiful mom."

Reba blushed lightly, smelling his cologne, feeling as if it was causing a spell on her. She closed her eyes briefly as she whispered: "You should get to your place, Barbra Jean and Cheyenne are gonna be home soon."

"I know."

Brock moved away a bit and Reba opened her eyes again. "Let me know if Cheyenne doesn't feel like going out for pizza… Maybe she just wants to be with you or Barbra Jean… Or both of you. Then I'll keep Kyra home or take her out for pizza myself. Just… Just take care of your own family first."

Brock smiled, fighting the urge to caress her cheek as he said: "You two are family too." He casted another glance at the redhead before walking away, leaving Reba behind in her kitchen.

* * *

Cheyenne stormed into Reba's kitchen a little after six that evening. Reba had just started getting some groceries out of her fridge when the girl walked in. "Hey honey, how are you?"

Cheyenne shrugged. "Okay I guess. Mom and dad told me they're gonna get a divorce this morning. It wasn't such a surprise… I mean, they were fighting a lot. I just… I'm just sad I can't live with both of them anymore."

Reba opened her arms to hug the blonde girl as she said: "I know honey, I'm sorry." She let go of the girl, but held on to her arms as she said: "You know you can always come to me if there's something wrong, right?"

The girl nodded. "I know. Ehm.. I actually came here to talk about the pizza. Do you want to come with us? I would really like it if you did."

"That's really sweet of you honey, but I was thinking about inviting your mom over for dinner."

"She's gone. She said something about taking care of… Things. Whatever that may mean. Please come? Please?"

* * *

While Cheyenne made her way over to the salad bar to show Kyra what was actual food –according to Cheyenne's standards,- Brock looked at the redhead next to him. He was glad Cheyenne adored her so much, and even more so that she'd succeeded in inviting her for dinner. "I'm glad you came with us, Reba."

"Yeah, well, Cheyenne insisted… And I like it too." She smiled at him. Whether she liked admitting it or not, she did enjoy his company, especially with the two younger girls around. Brock was a great dad and she adored seeing him with both Cheyenne and her own daughter.

"Glad you do. Perhaps we can do it once …. Together?" Brock's hopeful eyes made Reba smile but shook her head. "Brock… How many times are you going to try this? We've discussed this so many times."

"I'm gonna keep on doing until you say yes."

It made Brock smile when he saw Reba smile. She wasn't getting angry and it gave him the feeling that she perhaps would say yes. Eventually. He was about to make another comment when Reba's phone rang. "Sorry…," She apologized before answering her phone without looking at it. "Reba McKinney. "

Brock saw her facial expression change when the voice on the other end of the line started talking. "Yeah, I bet that sounds weird…. Look, unless you feel like talking to Kyra, I'm gonna hang up on you…. She misses you! Fine, Jack. Whatever."

Steam was blowing out of her ears by the time she hung up her phone. She rubbed her temples as Brock said: "The ex-husband?"

"You bet." Reba looked away, not wanting Brock to see she was actually about to cry. Why was Jack still having such an effect on her? He'd been so rude to her on the phone, she should be furious. And instead, she was on the edge of crying. Reba felt Brock's warm hand on hers before she saw it move. He tilted her chin so she was facing him again before he said: "Hey. It's okay to be upset."

"No." Reba bit her lip. "It's not. Not in front of Kyra. She's already hurt enough with a dad that never shows up to spend time with her."

Brock smiled at her. "That's not your fault, Reba."

"I know, but still.." When Reba spotted Kyra and Cheyenne she pulled away and quietly said: "Thanks… For this. The girls are coming back."

He understood and nodded. Reba's facial expression changed as soon as the girls sat down at the table again. Reba chuckled when Cheyenne told her how Kyra didn't like any of the great vegetables that were so healthy and only cared about tomatoes. Brock could tell that Jack guy was still on her mind though. Her eyes weren't sparkling as they usually did. He wondered what kind of man Jack was. What man in his right mind would cheat on a woman like Reba?

Reba caught Brock staring at her and mouthed 'it's okay' while listening to Cheyenne and Kyra talking. Reba knew Brock could tell she wasn't. She was glad he didn't bring Jack up in front of Kyra though. Kyra was having a hard enough time without her father without people bringing him up. She didn't want to spoilt her daughter's evening. Jack kept nagging her though. That man… Why was he still able to hurt her feelings?

_Note: Dumdumdumdum... Does this mean Jack will be back into Reba's life anytime soon? Let me know if you enjoyed it! X_


	6. Strawberries & Mint

_****Note: Hi folks! Another update... Please enjoy! xx_

_**Chapter 5: Strawberries & Mint**_

"Hey! You have some serious issues sleeping, don't you?"

Reba smiled and looked up when she heard Brock's voice. He was right about that; she was definitely having trouble sleeping these days. "I'm not the only one though."

"No, no, you're definitely not." She scooted over so he could sit next to her, but didn't speak. Brock knew why she was having a sleepless night this tie though. "Jack's phone call bothering you?"

"Obviously…" She sighed and Brock patiently waited for her to continue; he knew she would start talking in a bit. He admired the freckles on her face –he adored them- until he heard Reba speak and focused on her eyes again.

"He's just so… Frustrating. I just can't believe that he hasn't been trying to be in contact with Kyra. I know Kyra loves him.. But he's just being such a lousy dad. And… I don't know. The worst part is that he still gets to me, even when he's talking to me on the phone."

Reba sighed as Brock pulled her closer to him, not caring about whether he was crossing the line with her or not. Reba knew she would've pushed him away and slapped him if he'd done that any other time; she was now just glad to have someone close to her that was able to comfort her a little bit. She sighed again as her head rested against his chest. Brock held her as he said: "That guy's an ass, Reba. I know he's Kyra's father but… From what I hear, he treat's you like crap. Don't let him get to you, he's just not worth it. Don't let him upset you." Reba turned her head slightly to face him.

"I know… It's just hard."

Brock nodded as he whispered: "I know."

They both realized how close they were at that moment. Their faces were almost colliding and Brock could hear her breath, smell her light perfume… She was so pretty from up-close. He brought one of his hands up to her cheek and was surprised when she didn't pull back. He traced the soft lines on her face as he brought his thumb up her cheek, to her nose and eventually to her lips. "You deserve someone better, Reba."

Reba wasn't sure of what to say as she batted her eyelashes a few times. She was so attracted to him; it was no use denying it. Even though she wished she could. "Someone better, huh? Kinda hard to find if you're always busy."

"You're looking at him right now though." Their eyes met as Brock's hand covered her cheek.

"Tell me how you're a better person when you're tryin' to cheat on your wife as well…"

Reba looked him straight in the eye, waiting for his reply. "I know that's wrong… But I can't help loving you."

He was being so cheesy. Reba knew though she'd be putty in his hands right now if he would touch her… Or kiss her. "You love your wife, Brock. Maybe… Maybe you should go."

Her voice was unsteady and jumpy, and she knew it was because of Brock. Brock knew that too. He didn't say a word as he moved his face even closer to her, looking for any sign telling him to stop. Her face didn't give him a reason though.

Brock's lips crashed on Reba's within seconds. There was nothing chaste about their kiss; their tongues met as Brock moved Reba to make both of them more comfortable while his hands rested around her body. She tasted like mint, with a hint of strawberries.

Reba knew she was supposed to feel bad about kissing Brock, yet she didn't. His tongue dueling with hers and his body pressed against her own…It was a delight. She did break their kiss though, panting lightly as she said: "That was… That was amazing."

"I know…"

They sat in silence for a moment until Reba said: "You know, we should both get back to bed. I'm sure both of our girls will be up early tomorrow with tons of energy."

"Yeah." Brock agreed but didn't stand up. Reba decided she would then, and as she did, Brock grabbed her hand and spun her around. He looked into her eyes as he said: "You're not regretting this kiss, are you?"

She shook her head. "No… I'm just trying to figure out how to deal with it… Sweet dreams."

* * *

Brock woke up the next morning with a smile on his face. Not only had kissing Reba been reality, he'd been having quite a pleasant dream about the redhead as well. His smile faded lightly though when he turned and saw Barbra Jean lying next to him, still sleeping peacefully. Brock knew he was being unfair to his wife and he knew she would kill him if she ever found out, despite their marriage being rocky already.

He was startled slightly when he was suddenly looking into Barbra Jean's big eyes. "Good morning honey!"

The blonde smiled at him and moved closer to him for a kiss. "Hey." He gave her a chaste one before he got out of bed, thinking about what to do and how to handle his current situation, knowing it would be bad no matter what he did.

He made himself a cup of coffee and was about to get the newspaper as he was again startled to find Barbra Jean behind him in the kitchen. He was glad she started talking though. "Brock, I've decided to set Reba up with our therapist."

Brock almost chocked in his sip of coffee. "What?"

"Yeah, I decided to give him a call and asked if he was interested in having a date with my gorgeous neighbor. I decided to keep it all mysterious and sexy… And he loved it."

"Barbra Jean…" Brock really wanted to lash out and get angry, but he knew that would be weird. "Don't you remember Reba telling you she wasn't ready to date? Don't you think we should respect that?"

"Yeah yeah yeah, I know that. But I think that when she finally goes out with a decent guy, she'll change her mind." Barbra Jean looked at him with utter excitement as he shook his head. He wasn't only angry with her for not respecting Reba's feelings, but also because he was slightly upset. What if Reba would actually like their therapist?

* * *

"Barbra Jean! I told you I didn't wanna go out with your therapist!"

Barbra Jean followed Reba to the kitchen as she said: "But he's really hot, Reba!"

"Even if he'd been George freakin' Clooney, I don't care!"

Barbra Jean looked at the redhead for a moment and said: "Seriously? Not even George Clooney?"

Reba shrugged. "Well, maybe I would do it if it had been…" She realized Barbra Jean was distracting her from the actual point she was making and Reba got all fired up again as she yelled: "We're not talking about George Clooney! We're talking about your therapist and I do not want to go out with him."

The blonde shrugged and said: "Well, you'll have to tell him that yourself then, he'll be here in," Barbra Jean quickly checked her watch, "Fifteen minutes."

"Barbra Jean? What were you thinking?" Reba really didn't like Barbra Jean's action, yet somehow had the feeling of hurrying and dress up. She quickly made her way over to her bedroom to change into a black skirt and pretty blouse while Brock barged into the kitchen, surprised to find Barbra Jean sitting there as well.

"Hey!"

"Oh, hi Brock! Watcha you doing here?"

"I was about to talk to Reba about her date…"

Barbra Jean waved his talking off and said: "Already did that, in fact, she's upstairs right now."

Brock was surprised; was she actually planning on going on that date? Both Brock and Barbra Jean looked surprised as the doorbell rang and Barbra Jean said: "Oeh, I guess our therapist is early. Open the door, will you? I go get Reba!"

Brock did as he was told and made his way over to the door, knowing he'd find his therapist behind it. The man looked surprised when he found Brock opening the door. Brock immediately said: "She's upstairs, she'll be down in a minute."

The younger man in front of him nodded as he walked in. "So, mister Hart.. You and this mysterious woman are good friends?"

"Barbra Jean didn't even tell you her name?"

"Nope.. She wanted it to be all mysterious and interesting." The man made some interesting hand motions as he said those words and Brock almost wanted to laugh. He got distracted when he heard someone stumbling down the stairs, looking just in time to find Kyra almost falling down. Brock caught her and said: "Honey, watch out where you're going.. Are you okay?"

The little girl nodded and was distracted when she realized there was someone else in the room. She looked up to the man next to Brock as Brock was more interested in the woman that was now coming down the stairs. His attention was drawn back to the little girl though when he heard her yell: "Daddy?"

Brock looked up to the man who raised an eyebrow before smiling as he said: "Kyra? Honey!"

The little girl ran to the man and jumped into his arms when Brock heard someone gulp next to him. He saw Reba, dressed even more beautiful than usual in a white blouse and dark, short skirt, completely sulked into the man in front of him. Reba spoke softly, but Brock could hear it perfectly clear. "Jack?"

Brock turned back to Reba again as he said: "Wait? Our therapist, Jack… Is your ex-husband Jack?"

Reba didn't reply and only stared. Was that her ex-husband, in her living room… For real? Were Brock and Barbra Jean discussing their marriage-issues with her ex-husband? This was insane… When Jack looked up and smiled, Reba was still staring. Was this really happening?

Jack held Kyra's hand as he took a step forward and said: "Hey Reebs… This is quite a coincidence, huh?" He was about to step forward and lean in to kiss her cheek as she held up her hand, surprising him.

"Don't." Her voice was strong and crystal clear, leaving Jack in quite a surprise. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head as her head started spinning. Was this a bad dream? What the hell was going on? Reba decided to do the only thing she could think of; she ran. She moved pass Brock, Jack and even Kyra as she made her way out of the house, aching for fresh air.

At the same moment, Barbra Jean came flying down the stairs, surprised to find the door open, and Reba nowhere in sight. She was about to ask what was going on when Brock said: "Stay here, with Kyra… I'll be right back," before taking off to follow Reba.

He wasn't at all surprised to find her in the park near their houses, not more than five minutes away; Brock could tell it was her by the beautiful red hair, which was up in a beautiful bun. She'd been looking gorgeous. He sat down next to her, immediately able to see she'd been crying. He gently grabbed her chin so she was facing him as he said: "So… That's the ex-husband?"

Reba nodded, biting her lip. She wasn't sure what to say, she wasn't sure how she felt… Her ex-husband was in her house this moment. What kind of crazy situation was she finding herself in now?

_Note: Indeeeed... Jack's Barbra Jean and Brock's therapist. Perhaps it was a little predictable, but, well... That's just the way it is, haha, let me know what you think of it, I hope you all liked it! xx_


	7. Midnight Fight

_****Note: Hi guys! Thanks so much for the sweet reviews. It was really great to know you all enjoyed last chapter despite the fact that it was slightly predictable, haha! Hope you all will enjoy this one as well! xx._

_**Chapter 6: Midnight Fight**_

"I'm sorry, Reba." Brock searched the pockets of his jeans for a tissue, annoyed with himself for not having one. He decided to just let her use his t-shirt instead, gently putting her head on his chest.

While Reba hated crying in front of people, she knew she wouldn't be able to hold it back this time. She sobbed quietly for a bit until she realized she was ruining Brock's shirt. She got up and whispered: "I'm sorry about your shirt… I'll buy you a new one."

"Don't be silly." Brock waved her offer away quickly. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

An ironic chuckle escaped from Reba's lips as she replied: "Do I look like I'm okay?"

Brock sighed. "No… You don't." He caressed her hair lightly when Reba whispered: "Oh God, I left Kyra. She must think there's something very wrong with me."

"No, she won't. She'll just be excited to see her daddy, Reba. You wanna take a walk or head back home?"

Reba shrugged as she tried to wipe her tears away, knowing she probably wasn't succeeding. Brock chuckled lightly as he spotted the mascara streaks on her face, receiving a glare from her in return. He just smiled as he said: "Your mascara's all over your face. Come, we'll clean your face up and then you should get home. You want me to kick Jack out?"

Brock was glad to hear an honest chuckle coming from her lips as Reba said: "Nah. I'll just… Talk, I guess. Thanks though."

"No problem." Brock got up and offered Reba his hand, which she gladly accepted as she said: "Brock… Thanks for coming after me. I really appreciate it." She squeezed his hand before letting go and walking back towards their houses, making Brock follow with a jolt in his stomach. Even the slightest touch of Reba's hands was able to make him happier.

* * *

"Reba! Thank God you're back, I was getting worried!" Jack literally put Kyra down and rushed over to the redhead, who didn't seem too amused. She ignored Jack as she closed the front door and made her way over to her daughter. "Honey, you're okay?"

Kyra hugged her mother as she said: "I'm fine mom, daddy was making a puzzle with me!"

The young girl proudly showed off half of the city of New York. Reba smiled. "That's great, honey. Why don't you try to finish it as I talk to your dad in the kitchen?"

Kyra nodded and Reba made her way to the kitchen, expecting Jack to follow, which he sure did. Reba grabbed herself some water and took a deep breath; she really hadn't been able to prepare herself for a showdown with her ex-husband and she wasn't pleased about it at all. Reba turned around as she said: "So. I think we should completely forget about this and make an agreement about Kyra visiting you. That's all."

Jack raised his eyebrow as he said: "Come on, don't be like that. Aren't you happy to see me?"

Reba's mouth dropped as she replied: "Happy? You're kiddin' me, right? I was perfectly happy with not seeing you."

"You don't mean that, Reba." He walked closer to her and Reba briefly closed her eyes. His cologne. God, he smelled good. His hand cupped her cheek and his other arm went around her waist as he whispered: "Just admit it, Reba… You've missed me. We can still go on this date… I'm sure Barbra Jean won't mind watching Kyra, that was her plan anyway. Come on, honey."

Reba hated Jack. The way he looked. The way he smelled. The way he talked. Every single thing the man did made her realize how much she'd adored him at some point of her life. And, unfortunately, it made her remember all the good times as well. When Jack was leaning in closer though, seeming to plant his lips on hers, Reba's instincts kicked in again. She slapped him hard in his face before she hissed: "We are done, Jack. I only want to talk to you about Kyra, nothing else."

Jack's cheek was red and he looked at Reba with surprise; she'd never slapped him before. Not even after her finding out he'd cheated on her. He did however consider it took make her even hotter though. And he definitely wasn't ready to let go of Reba thanks to their divorce. He still loved her. Though he had to admit to himself he kind of loved women in general. A sly smile graced his face as he said: "Whatever you say, honey. I'll pick Kyra up next weekend. I'll call you."

"No, you won't. Now leave."

* * *

Reba had been twisting and turning in her bed for hours and was annoyed when her clock told her it was almost midnight. Getting to bed early really was no use at all. She sighed as she got out of bed, grabbed a sweater and made her way to the stairs. She halted in front of Kyra's room, opening the door quietly as she watched her daughter sleep for a while. Reba hated it that she'd separated her daughter from her father. Though she knew it was all for the better, it was hard when she thought about the potential consequences it had for Kyra. Besides, she didn't want her daughter to think she hated Jack. Even though Reba sometimes wished she did; it would make this so much easier on her.

A slight summer breeze greeted Reba when she stepped outside a few minutes later. She happily stepped outside, leaving the door open in case Kyra would call for her, and sat down with a satisfied smile, happy to get some fresh air. Reba peeked into the direction of Brock and Barbra Jean's house, somewhat disappointed that Brock wasn't having one of his sleepless nights; she'd gotten used to seeing him outside at night. Reba was surprised to find the lights still on in the house next-door, but was even more surprised when she heard some stern and upset voices coming from inside. They didn't sound too good.

Reba couldn't help but overhear Barbra Jean's high voice as she yelled: "You're an ass, Brock! Stop pretending you want to save this marriage… It's more than obvious that you don't."

Brock's voice as crystal clear as well as he yelled back: "Stop yelling! Cheyenne's upstairs."

"I don't care, Brock! She should know what an ass her father is. You're in love with some slut and you don't even bother trying to save our marriage. What makes her so important?"

"Barbra Jean, stop!"

Reba was glad the voices became more quiet, but couldn't help her fastening heartbeat. That fight seemed intense. Apparently, Barbra Jean had been convinced her marriage could've been saved. Reba wondered what exactly Brock had been telling her; Barbra Jean's slut-comment didn't sound very nice. Not at all. Reba prayed it hadn't been her Barbra Jean had been yelling about. It wouldn't surprise her though if Brock would've told Barbra Jean he was in love with her. Reba had to admit to herself that her own feelings towards Brock became more difficult to maintain on the friendship-level every day.

Reba tried to let her anxiety towards the earlier heard fight pass and relax a bit, hoping it would help her get some sleep in a bit. She was about to get up when she heard the door of her neighbors slam and soon, a familiar face popped up.

"Hey Reba."

"Hey… You two are done fighting?"

Bock gave her a questioning glare as he sat down next to her in his jogging pants and sweater as Reba replied: "I think the entire neighborhood could hear Barbra Jean talking about your new slutty love interest."

"Oh." Brock glared at her as he said: "Yeah.. Well… She wasn't talking about anyone in particular, if that's what you're thinking. She's just guessing, hoping I'll tell her something that'll explain the end of our marriage."

"You can't blame her for wanting an explanation."

"There isn't an explanation, Reba. I do love her… As a friend. I'm not attracted to her anymore…. Besides, a marriage can only succeed if both parties are willing to fight for it. Listen Reba, I'm not going to tell her I'm in love with you if that's what you're worried about. Even though I am."

"You're just saying that because you guys are going through a rough patch, Brock. You'll be fine."

"Stop saying that, Reba." He put his hand on hers, causing her to finally look at him as he continued: "Besides… I don't think Jack's the best person to fix our marriage if it would even be possible. He's an ass. I'm not going back there again."

Reba squeezed his hand as she said: "There are a lot of things you can say about Jack, Brock, but he's great in doing what he does. You should give it another chance."

"No offence Reba, but he's divorced himself. How could he possibly be able to give me good advice?" Immediately after Brock had uttered those words, he could tell he'd made a big mistake. Reba took her hand back as her face became cold as ice. She got up as she said: "I don't want to discuss this. I'm gonna get some sleep."

She rushed inside her house but Brock followed her immediately as he said: "Reba, wait!" He followed her inside, closing the door behind him, as he followed her up the stairs, just able to see her enter her what he expected to be her bedroom. Brock walked in as well, closing it again since he didn't want to wake up Kyra as he said: "Reba, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to offend you. I just… I just meant that Jack isn't a good man. I don't want help from a person who did what he's done to you."

Reba turned around and smiled before sitting on the edge of her bed. "I know. I just don't want to talk about Jack right now. I don't even want to think about him."

Brock nodded as he sat down next to her. "I can understand. I'm sorry I even brought him up."

"It's okay."

Their eyes locked as Brock moved closer to her and said: "I wished you would believe me when I tell you that I really am in love with you…. I know you don't want to hurt Barbra Jean and I get that. But I want you to be happy…. You deserve so much more than Jack has given you."

Reba's voice was small as she said: "Jack and I have had great times, Brock."

"I can give you greater times. Please, Reba…"

She bit her lip as she replied: "You and Barbra Jean have to sort things out, Brock. I'm not going to interfere in that."

Brock caught her completely off-guard when he grabbed her shoulders and roughly pulled her closer to him, his breath ragged as he said: "Tell me you don't want to explore what we could be like and I'll leave."

"It has nothing to do with that, Brock, I.." Brock didn't even let her finish as he crashed his lips on Reba's, wanting her to know how much he wanted to be with her. He was surprised that Reba let him, and even more that she opened her mouth when his tongue asked for entrance.

Reba already felt guilty the moment Brock's lips touched hers, but she had to admit it felt good. She loved feeling him so close to her, his lips massaging hers… He felt so good. Their kiss lasted too long for it to be called a chaste, innocent and accidental kiss, yet Reba gently pushed him away. "Brock… This is wrong."

"Feels perfectly good to me though…"

"Go home, Brock. Please. We have to talk about this later."

He smiled at her and ruffled his hair as he said: "Yeah, I'm sure we will. I know you feel as if we're both cheating on Barbra Jean… I know we kind of are.. But there are so many things about her and about her and me that you don't know. Please don't kill yourself over this kiss… I know you will but please don't."

He disappeared out of Reba's room after those words, leaving her behind in slight shock. She indeed felt as if she was cheating on her friend. Knowing how much it hurt her when it had happened to her, she felt extremely guilty about that kiss. But it was hard to resist Brock; Reba knew it had been long since she'd felt so attracted to a person.

_Note: End of chapter 6! Liked it? Please let me know, your reviews really mean a lot to me! x._


	8. Coffee

_****Note: Hi guys! Thanks for the reviews again, they're so greatly appreciated it! Hope this one will be just as enjoyable (is that even a word, haha?)! xx. _

_**Chapter 7: Coffee**_

_The fresh aroma of coffee made Brock wake up with a smile. He tilted his head to the right, wondering where the scent was coming from, and was surprised to find Reba in his doorstep, dressed in a pale blue, short nightgown. "Reba… What are you doing here?"_

_"Hey." She walked over to his bed and sat down next to him, handing him his coffee. Brock sat up immediately, accepting the hot mug as he looked at her. Reba didn't say a word though; she just looked at him, smiling, as he sipped his coffee._

_Brock stared at her as well. She looked beautiful; her pale, freckled skin without a trace of make-up, her red curls falling down her shoulders, her lips pressed into a gorgeous smile… She was beautiful. "Reba… Why are you here?"_

_She chuckled. "Why wouldn't I be, silly?" Reba grabbed his coffee mug again and put both his and her own mug on the small table beside their beds before curling up against Brock's chest. He was stunned, but didn't say a word; her body was so warm and felt so good against his. It was then that he noticed the ring around Reba's finger, a golden band with tons of small, glittering diamonds. He then looked at his own hand, noticing a matching ring on his own finger. They were married?_

_Brock was about to ask Reba a question as she let out a happy sigh before saying: "It was perfect yesterday, wasn't it? I loved it Brock, I couldn't have thought of a better day."_

_Reba looked up when Brock didn't reply, and was surprised to find him looking at her with a puzzled look on his face. "What's wrong, honey?"_

_"What…. What exactly happened yesterday, Reba?"_

_She shook her head before saying: "You moron… You're not going to tell me you forgot your own wedding day, do you?"_

* * *

Brock opened his eyes with a smile, but was disappointed when he didn't smell the aroma of coffee, nor saw a redhead in the door opening. The blonde still sleeping soundly next to him was reality though. Brock couldn't help but sigh; not only was Reba on his mind all day long, she was now appearing in his dreams as well.

He decided to get up and let Barbra Jean rest some more as he peeked into Cheyenne's room, noticing she was still asleep as well. Brock walked down the stairs and decided to make himself some coffee instead as his mind drifted off to Reba. How he adored her… He knew he was being unfair when he kissed her; he knew it would upset her. Reba was a decent woman; she had experienced someone cheating on her herself and she didn't want her friend to go through the same.

It was good; it was what a good person would do. He sighed, knowing that no matter how much Reba respected Barbra Jean, his wife would never be able to do the same. Barbra Jean was a sweetheart, she really was. But Barbra Jean was a flirt. A flirt with basically every man Brock could think of. Brock knew he had once loved Barbra Jean; Cheyenne was the perfect result of that. That love was now vanished though, vanished right into thin air where neither one of them could ever catch it again. It had hurt, at first. Now, it was just tiring him. Brock was done with his marriage, done with keeping up appearances that weren't the truth. He wanted it to be over with. Brock knew Barbra Jean would've wanted the same if it hadn't been for Cheyenne.

A loud sigh escaped from his lips. His life was a mess. Barbra Jean didn't want a divorce, yet saw their situation as the perfect excuse for cheating on him. Not a man who was bothered with that. Brock could try the same thing… Unfortunately for him, a redhead next-door had caught his eye, and she had some values that wouldn't let him even get closer to her. Unless he tried his hardest and pushed her over the edge, just like he'd done the night before.

* * *

Brock wasn't aware of the redhead next-door sipping her coffee. Reba barely had some sleep that night, and when her alarm clock had told her it was six in the morning, she'd decided to get up anyway. Not only was she worrying about Jack's visit and the words he'd told her, she still felt Brock's lips burning on hers. How wrong was it for his lips to feel so good on hers? She instinctively brought her fingers up to her lips, caressing them lightly.

Was she in love with Brock? Was it even possible for her to be in love with a man she'd only been around for such a short time? Her head told her it wasn't, but her heart told her it was. She wanted to explore what could be, what her and Brock could have together, but it scared her. After all, Brock was a married man. And Reba was all for saving a marriage as long as it could be saved, and Reba wasn't planning on being the cause of Brock and Barbra Jeans break-up. She wished she wouldn't care and was just able to throw herself into Brock's arms like she really wanted.

On top of all of that, was Jack. Her good-looking ex-husband whom she unfortunately still had feelings for. The way he'd spoken to her earlier had given her tongs of things to think about. He still wanted to be with her. Reba was quite sure she wouldn't be the only woman he would be going out with; typically Jack. Reba hated it that Jack still affected her but she wasn't quite sure what exactly it was that made her linger on him.

* * *

"Hey Reba!"

Barbra Jean barged into Reba's kitchen with Cheyenne following her close. "Cheyenne wanted to ask Kyra if she wanted to go outside, is that okay with you?"

Reba chuckled. "Isn't that always okay?" She focused her attention on the younger girl as she said: "Go upstairs honey, Kyra's in her room. I'm sure she'll be happy to go with you."

Cheyenne made her way upstairs as Reba turned back to Barbra Jean again and said: "You know she can always come around… What is going on?"

The blonde sat down on one of the chairs in Reba's kitchen before sighing out loud. "I just needed to talk to you, Reba. I was so upset about last night… I really didn't know about Jack being… Your Jack. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Barbra Jean, it's fine." Reba wove it off, hoping Barbra Jean would forget about the subject and instead started talking about something different. Unfortunately, she didn't.

"I just… I'm confused, Reba. How can a man like Jack do such awful things to his wife and still talk about her as if she's a gift from God?"

"Excuse me, what?" Reba dropped the knife she'd just grabbed on the floor as she stared at Barbra Jean with her mouth open.

Barbra Jean tried to look as innocent as an angel as she replied: "Reba… When you ran out last night after finding Jack on your doorstep, we had a little chat. He kept telling me how much he regretted all the things he'd done to you. How much he still loved you and wanted to be with you… He's very sorry about the things he's done, Reba. Isn't there a part of you that still loves him? That wants to be with him?" Barbra Jean was making her puppy eyes but Reba didn't care about them at all.

Reba was upset with her friend's words. She hadn't expected one of her close friends to be so inconsiderate of her feelings. "Barbra Jean… Do you honestly think I still respect him? He cheated on me, multiple times. Do you have any idea how that makes you feel?"

The blonde shrugged and muttered: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I'd just like to see you happy."

"Well, I ain't gonna be happy with Jack anymore, Barbra Jean. Can you please go now? I have tons of things to do. I'll see you later, okay?"

Barbra Jean wanted to stay with her friend, but she could tell the redhead was fired up over her earlier words. She muttered another excuse before getting up and leaving the kitchen, leaving Reba behind on her own, still thinking about both Jack and Brock.

* * *

"Reba, hey… Surprise to find you out here during the day… It's not a place I'm used to finding you in daylight."

Reba had noticed somebody blocking her sun before that person had started talking; Reba had been perfectly aware of that someone being Brock though. She would be able to notice his cologne out of anything. She finally opened her eyes, thus not surprised to find a smiling Brock hovering above her. Brock knew she'd known it was him approaching her; she hadn't been aware of him looking at her five minutes before though. The redhead sitting on her porch, eyes closed, had been an absolute pleasure for his eyes.

"Hey… I know. Weather was perfect though, I figured I could sit in the sun for about ten minutes." She checked her watch as she added: "Those ten minutes are up now. I have to get back inside, I'll look like a lobster."

"That's what happens when you're a redhead, huh?"

They smiled and Reba wasn't even surprised when Brock followed her inside her home. "Kyra's not here?"

She shook her head. "No, Cheyenne took her out. I think Barbra Jean planned on doing the same thing with me, but I kinda shook up her plans."

"How come?" Brock followed her to the kitchen where she grabbed a bottle of water for herself and handed one to him. "She started jacking on about Jack, asking me if I couldn't consider giving him another chance… She really doesn't get how much his cheating has humiliated me."

"Typical…"

Reba eyed Brock suspiciously as she said: "Why is that?"

Brock ruffled his hair. "I don't want to talk bad about Barbra Jean, but… Let's just say that she doesn't take marriage as serious as you do."

"You're talking in rebuses, Brock, and I'm not really in the mood for playing games. What do you mean?"

He sighed before saying: "I just… I just mean that Barbra Jean doesn't consider marriage a reason to stick with one person. He reason she thinks so light on a subject as heavy as… Well, cheating, is because she's quite good in doing it as well."

Reba's mouth fell open and she wasn't sure what to say. Had that been what Brock had meant the night before when he had told her there were things about Barbra Jean she didn't know about? "You're kidding me…"

Brock shrugged, a hint of sadness shining through his eyes as he said: "It's the truth. It's one of the reasons I think our marriage is doomed. How sad is it if you get used to your wife sleeping with others? That you even don't care about it anymore?"

"Oh, Brock… I'm so sorry." Reba put the romantic feelings she had for Brock aside when she decided to hug him, a lousy way to try and give him some comfort.

Brock, on the other hand, wasn't completely able to shove his feelings aside. Her touch reminded him of his dream, and he wondered if he should tell her about it or not. For the moment being though, he'd decided to just appreciate the hug she'd offered him, before talking about his feelings towards her again.

_Note: That's it for now, I hope you guys liked it! Please let me know if you did, and if you didn't, please let me know why as well! XX._


	9. Mac 'n Cheese

_****Note: Hi guys! Thanks a lot for the reviews on last chapter, they're very much appreciated. X. _

_**Chapter 8: Mac 'n Cheese**_

Brock had decided to leave quickly after the hug he'd shared with Reba, not wanting to push any of her boundaries. He was surprised to find Barbra Jean at home, standing in their living room with their daughter, doing Cheyenne's hair.

"Hey dad!"

"Hi honey, what are you getting all dressed up for?" He kissed his daughter before asking her that question, wondering what his daughter was up to. Cheyenne was about to answer hen Barbra Jean said: "I'm taking her to a competition. She can become Miss Teen Texas, isn't that awesome?"

Barbra Jean continued curling their daughter's hair, oblivious to Brock's glare. His daughter? In a beauty pageant? Brock considered Cheyenne a beautiful young lady, but wouldn't appreciate his daughter in swimwear in front of a public, getting judged by tons of people on her appearance. Wasn't that a bad thing? Then again, perhaps both him and Barbra Jean hadn't been giving Cheyenne the best example in that area; after all, he was always the one being tan with pearl white teeth.

"Barbra Jean… Can we talk for a minute?"

Barbra Jean could tell Brock was being serious and decided to tell him it was okay, despite her annoyance with the tone of his voice. "Cheyenne, honey, why don't you go and grab your stuff upstairs?"

"Fine. Don't forget to finish my hair, though." The blonde girl was oblivious to her dad's shocked look and took off, making her way to the stairs. Brock made sure his daughter wouldn't be able to hear her when he said: "Isn't this something we should discuss?"

"Why? Cheyenne came up with the idea herself, I thought it would be fun."

"Barbra Jean, I don't want our daughter to look as plastic as a Barbie and care about looks only!"

"She already does, Brock!" Barbra Jean glared at the man in front of her before sighing. "I'm taking her to San Antonio in an hour, we're staying there for three days. Don't spoil this for her Brock, she loves this."

Brock knew Cheyenne was probably super excited and Barbra Jean had hit him with the perfect words; don't spoil this for her; she knew Brock would do anything to keep his daughter happy. He shrugged before he said: "Okay, fine. But keep an eye on her though, and this is a one-time thing."

Barbra Jean had a huge grin on her face as she said: "Well, when she wins…"

Brock cut her off. "Fine, Barbra Jean."

"Oh, and Brock, can you cancel our appointment with dr. Morgan? I know we're supposed to see him tomorrow but obviously that's not happening."

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that…" Brock ruffled his hair and hoped Barbra Jean would look at him and realize he wanted to tell her something serious. She continued cleaning up some stuff and grabbing the things she needed for Cheyenne though while she said: "What about it, Brock?"

"Barbra Jean, can you stop doing what you're doing and just look at me for a while?"

She stopped, an annoyed look on her face, waiting for him to continue. Brock took a deep breath as he said: "I think we should stop those sessions, Barbra Jean. I'm not comfortable talking to that guy anymore… And quite frankly, I don't think it will help our relationship either."

"What do you mean?"

"I think we should end this Barbra Jean… I honestly don't think therapy will make our relationship work again."

"You're seriously telling me this an hour before me and Cheyenne are leaving?"

Brock wanted to reply, but heard someone stumbling on the stairs, knowing Cheyenne would be downstairs within seconds. "We'll.. We'll talk about this later, Barbra Jean." He then turned to Cheyenne, who by now stood next to him and gave her a bear hug before saying: "I have to go honey, but have fun! And remember that you're always beautiful, no matter what those judges say!"

* * *

Reba was surprised to hear her doorbell ring, not knowing a lot of people that were ringing her bell instead of knocking or just barging in. When she opened the door and saw the man standing on the other side though, she immediately threw the door in his face again. Seeing Jack really wasn't on top of her list and she preferred not seeing him.

Unfortunately for her, Jack was smart enough to put his foot between the door, yanking it back open again. "Reba, come on… I'm just here to pick up Kyra.. Can't we even have a civil conversation these days?"

"I don't want to have a civil conversation with you Jack, that is something different. And next time, can you call before picking Kyra up? You're lucky she's here."

She made her way to the kitchen, hoping he would turn around again. Reba knew better though; Jack wasn't gonna give up that easy. He was still there when she turned again in the kitchen, continuing the vegetables she'd been chopping.

Jack ignored her sneer about their daughter as he said: "Well, don't you think we should try having a normal conversation anyway? There are a lot of unresolved things left between us and I think we should discuss them. I think it will do both of us good."

Reba eyed him suspiciously before saying: "I think we're all good, Jack. How's Lesley doing, by the way?" Lesley. Aka blonde bimbo, big boobs, golden and diamond jewelry and the most recent woman to Reba's knowledge Jack had been cheating on with her. And the woman Reba'd caught screaming out Jack's name while his head had been between her legs.

Jack glared at her as he said: "Chelsey. And we've never even started a thing."

"Well, there most definitely was a thing…"

"Reba, come on…"

"I just don't get what you want to talk about, Jack." She cleaned up some of the dirty dishes before grabbing a pan and some oil, as she said: "You cheated on me, multiple times, I was done with you and we got a divorce. End of story."

"Things are not as simple as that, Reba."

"To me they are, Jack." She emphasized his name and was glad when Kyra ran into the kitchen, hugging her dad as she said: "Dad, what are you doing here?"

Jack smiled and kissed his daughter as he said: "I thought we could go out for pizza tonight, how about you? And maybe you can stay with me tonight as well… I'll bring you to school tomorrow."

Kyra's face immediately turned into a big grin before she said: "I love pizza! Mom, can I?"

Reba took a glance at the food she'd just been preparing before nodding; she knew it was important for her daughter to spent time with her dad. "Of course you can, baby. Go grab you coat."

Kyra stormed off to grab her favorite jacket as Reba said: "Next time, call. We kinda need a head's up here, I don't like these unplanned visits."

Jack wanted to give her some smart-mouthed reply, but decided playing nice with his ex-wife was for the better. He wanted to get on her good side again and he knew he wouldn't if he'd be annoying her. He wondered where exactly his smart mouth had started working against him in their relationship; the first couple of years of their relationship and marriage, both him and Reba loved bickering around and making smart ass comments towards each other. Those heated arguments usually ended up in their bedroom though. He would love ending up there again, but had a feeling smart-mouthing wouldn't get him there this time. "I will, I'm sorry."

His sincere apology surprised Reba and she gave him a slightly confused smile before saying: "Okay. Thanks."

A few seconds later, Reba gave Kyra a hug and looked after her as she walked to her father's car, not too happy with Jack's surprise visit.

"Daddy paid a surprise visit?"

Brock's voice startled her slightly, but she nevertheless smiled and said: "Yeah… He forgets cellphone's can be used for making calls."

He chuckled. "I know… Barbra Jean forgets telling certain things as well. Like taking Cheyenne to a beauty pageant to participate."

"What?" Reba looked shocked and Brock quickly said: "Cheyenne loves it too… They're gone for a few days, left me all stuck by myself."

"Ah… Well, as long as Cheyenne's not parading around naked, I'm sure it'll be all good. But… Since we're both on our own tonight… How about dinner at my place? I'd already started cooking when Jack showed up… Mac 'n cheese." Reba knew she'd taken quite a risk with asking Brock, considering their recent shared kiss. It was hard to stay away from though, especially now that they were both on their own.

"You're serious?" Even Brock was surprised with Reba's offer, knowing she wasn't planning on doing anything that would accidentally take their relationship to a next level.

She nodded. "Yeah… Two's always better than one, isn't it?"

* * *

"No! I don't believe that, Reba, you're kidding?"

Hysterical laughter escaped from Reba's mouth as she nodded. "No, I'm serious. I was such a shy girl in school, yet always cheering on our football team."

Brock smiled; Reba the cheerleader wasn't something he'd expected. The thought of it was definitely appealing. He grabbed the bottle of wine on the table –the third one that night,- and emptied it in Reba's glass and his own before saying: "Still remember your routines?"

"Well…No. Not even the cheer. I don't think I'm very upset about that though." She took a big gulp of the tasty red wine before adding: "The kicks and jumps probably won't go too well either. I haven't done any of those for years, don't think my legs can handle 'em."

Brock pouted as he said: "No show for me then?"

"I don't think so."

"That's too bad." He smiled nevertheless, not even caring. "Reba.." He made sure her glossy blue eyes were connected with his as he said: "Don't you… Don't you ever think about what we could be together? What we could do together?" He wiggled his eyebrows, making Reba chuckle.

"Brock… I don't know what your filthy mind is pointing to but I think it's slightly inappropriate to even think of that." Despite her words, an amused look graced her face. Brock figured it was an effect of the alcohol. His self-control got completely lost due to the same liquid as well though.

"My mind is, a, not filthy and b, I'm not thinking of anything inappropriate. I was just asking you."

"Brock… Even if I'd wanted to think about that, I would restrain myself from doing so. Usually, that is." Reba closed her eyes briefly, knowing the amount of alcohol she'd been drinking wasn't in her advance this night; she was afraid she would be doing things she was going to regret.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Brock moved closer to his favorite redhead who looked at him with a glare. "Not up for discussion, Brock. You know what… I think it's time you go home. We both have work to do tomorrow."

"Yeah… Maybe you're right. Thanks for dinner, I loved your food and everything else."

She chuckled. "Glad so."

Brock got up and wanted to walk to the door. Reba was right; he should go home, get some rest and think again about the words he'd told Barbra Jean earlier that day. Reba looked so cute though; tight black jeans, a green silk blouse, bare feet… So beautiful.

He turned around, catching Reba by surprise again, before he said: "There's something I want to do before I leave, though."

Reba frowned. "What is it?"

"Promise you won't hit me."

Reba chuckled. "Can't promise you that… What is it, Brock?"

He grabbed her shoulders in a swift moment, clasping Reba's hands in his so she couldn't push him away, before pressing his lips on hers and her body against his. Warmth flew through his body when he realized she wasn't even trying to resist his kiss, and Brock deepened their kiss, letting go of her hands as he did so, so he was able to put his hands around her tiny waist.

Reba was tired of fighting off her feelings for Brock, much more content with his lips on hers and his hands around her waist. She promised herself to stop worrying about tomorrow and enjoy the moment, regardless of a little voice in her head telling her she'd be feeling extremely guilty that next day.

_Note: So, that's it for now... Barbra Jean's off to San Antonio with Cheyenne, Jack's wanting Reba back... What else will happen in the suburbs of Houston? Next chapter will hopefully be up soon! What did you guys think of this one? xx._


	10. The Wrong Pair

_****Note: Next chapter! Enjoy :-) xx._

_**Chapter 9: The Wrong Pair**_

"You still want me to leave?"

Reba looked beside her, into the eyes of the man she'd just been making love with for the first time. She smiled, though her eyes did reveal a hint of sadness, as she said: "I think you should stay….

"So do I." He pulled her closer to him before nuzzling her neck, inhaling the scent that was so common for Reba; he loved it. She sighed in content, enjoying his body against hers before saying: "Don't you think this is wrong, Brock?"

He shrugged. "Probably. There are some things we need to talk about though… Maybe it will make you feel less guilty?"

"How is something gonna make me feel better, you moron… I did the same thing to a friend that has hurt me so bad. In fact, it's still hurting me! How is anything you're about to tell me gonna make me feel better? You idiot…" She sat up and looked at him with a glare, Brock noticing the fire in her pretty blue eyes.

"Stop freaking out, Reba, listen to me first, will you?" He sat up straight as well and gave her a stern look, which she answered through raising her eyebrows before saying: "Okay. Spill."

"Barbra Jean left this afternoon with Cheyenne, like I said. It was kind of unannounced to me which I really wasn't too happy about since I needed to have a conversation with Barbra Jean. I told her that, and she just told me to quickly tell her what was going on… So I did. I told her that I didn't think our relationship could be save through therapy, that I was done with us… Then Cheyenne barged in and we really didn't have another chance to continue our talk. But I think she got the main message."

Reba looked at Brock, wondering how he was able to talk so calm about his stranded marriage. Despite being sure about divorcing Jack, Reba still had been overwhelmed with sadness during that period. She felt as if she had failed. "Doesn't it hurt… To know that you couldn't make your marriage last forever?"

When Brock looked into her eyes, it saddened him to see the pain in her own eyes, knowing Jack was the cause of it. He cupped her cheeks with his hands before saying: "Not anymore.. It did, when it all started crumbling down. I am already on perfect terms with this decision, I… It just doesn't hurt anymore. I feel bad for Cheyenne… But it's not healthy for her to grow up in a family that doesn't work."

Reba nodded, knowing she would never be able to fully understand Brock's thoughts, yet tried her best. She pecked his lips before saying: "Let's sleep… We both have to work tomorrow. And a billion things to discuss as well."'

* * *

Barbra Jean had been calling her house phone over four times the next morning, trying to get to Brock. He wasn't answering his cell phone and Barbra Jean was getting worried. Why wasn't he answering his phone? It was past eight in the morning, he was usually long up by then. She really wanted to tell him about Cheyenne being a finalist!

She decided to call her friend, hoping Reba knew more about her husband. Perhaps his cell phone was broken?

Back in the suburbs of Houston, the loud ringing of the phone made Reba slowly open her eyes. Was that her phone ringing? Her head was a bit foggy, reminding Reba of the amount of wine she'd been drinking the night before. It wasn't until then that Reba noticed her head was resting on a small chest and that there was an arm draped around her belly. _Fuck._Reba immediately cursed herself for cursing like that.

She blushed when the memories of the night before crossed her mind, remembering how absolutely perfect it had felt to make love to Brock for the very first time. Reba turned her head, trying to erase Barbra Jean out of her mind. Which was exactly what happened when she saw it was already past eight in the morning; she and Brock both had to be at work in a little over thirty minutes!

Reba turned herself, trying to shake Brock and wake him up. No luck so far, though. She thought for a minute, until deciding that perhaps kissing was a better way to wake the man. She hesitated a bit before moving her lips to his, gently massaging them, waiting for Brock to respond, which he did within seconds. Reba took the opportunity to enjoy their kiss for a bit before breaking it, finally seeing eye to eye with a just woken Brock who murmured: "Well, good morning to you too."

"Hey… We have to get up, it's past eight."

Brock yawned. "Oh… You don't just want to take the day off and stay in bed?" He draped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug as Reba chuckled, trying to worm herself out of his arms while saying: "We can't, Brock. Come on, let me go… I'll make some coffee."

They were both dressed in ten minutes, though Brock got downstairs a few seconds before Reba. He was the one putting on the coffee machine when he noticed a light shining on Reba's phone, telling him she had a voicemail message. "Reba… You've got a voicemail!"

She walked down the stairs as she replied: "Press play, will ya?"

Both were about to grab their breakfast when a familiar voice made both of them freeze. _Reba, hey, it's me… Barbra Jean. Hey, Brock's not answering the phone.. You know if there's something wrong? Tell him I called, okay? Cheyenne's a finalist in the pageant, isn't that great? Gotta go now, love you Reba!_

Reality hit Reba like a knife. Hearing Barbra Jean's voice made Reba feel as if she was back in reality again, as if the night before had been a dream, a fantasy. She looked at Brock, suddenly feeling as if her air supply got cut off. Oh God; she as going to hyperventilate.

Luckily, Brock noticed her sudden panicked face and immediately grabbed a plastic back, setting her down on the couch before taking place next to her and handing the bag as he said: "Breath… Slowly. In, out… Come on, you're doing good." He rubbed her back slightly, trying to calm her down, sensing that the voice of Barbra Jean had made her realize what exactly had happened the night before. Despite his explanation about him definitely wanting to file for divorce, he did understand her being upset.

It took Reba a while to steady her breathing, and she was glad when she was able to remove the plastic bag from her mouth, her face red from effort. She looked at Brock, a hint of embarrassment showing on her face as she said: "Sorry 'bout that."

"No problem. You sure you can get to work like this?"

She nodded. "Yeah, yeah, no problem… I just.. I just freaked out. Hearing Barbra Jean…. It just made me realize what exactly I'd done… What we've done. We need to discuss this later today, Brock."

"Yeah, okay. Okay." Brock looked at Reba, trying to get into her head, seeing if he was able to see what she was thinking, or to see how she felt. The only thing he saw in her eyes though was guilt. Lots and lots of guilt.

* * *

"Are you sure mom won't mind?"

"Of course not baby, I'm very sure."

Kyra looked at her father with pinched eyes, not sure if she really should tell her dad where the emergency-key of their house was hidden. Despite her dad insisting her mother wouldn't mind telling him, Kyra had a feeling her mom would be trying to find a new spot for the key if her dad would know about it. She eventually gave in and said: "It's behind the painting next to door."

Jack looked behind the painting Kyra was pointing to, not surprised to indeed find the key. He was surprised his daughter had been so hesitant in telling him about the key; apparently the young girl did sense that the relationship between him and Reba was far from good and normal.

They entered the house, not surprised Reba wasn't there yet; it was only four in the afternoon. She was still at work. He wanted to talk to her though, and not about Kyra. He wanted to talk about them. He took off his shoes, placing them next to the front door, before walking after Kyra, who was yelling about him having to see her room.

* * *

Reba was nervous when she got out of her car, not really sure why that was. She knew she had to talk to Brock that night, and she had no clue of the way she was supposed to handle it. Was she in love with Brock? Her head told her it was way too soon to actually be in love with her neighbor. Her heart however told her she was indeed in love with him, in a way she'd never loved a man before. But then there was Barbra Jean… She'd slept with Brock before he'd finalized his divorce to Barbra Jean. Despite the bad words and bad habits from Barbra Jean, Reba nevertheless felt extremely guilty towards her friend. Reba knew how it felt to be cheated it on, and it definitely wasn't a good feeling. Perhaps she should tell Brock she couldn't be with him until his divorce was final?

Deep in thoughts, Reba entered her living room, noticing the pair of men shoes standing next to the door. Had Brock found her spare key and let himself in?

"Brock?" She looked inside the living room and peeked into the kitchen, not seeing him there. "Brock? Are you upstairs," she hollered, wondering where in the house the man was. Reba got distracted when she noticed some envelopes on her doormat, picking them up and looking through them. A bill, a promotion folder from the supermarket nearby, a bill, another bill… Nothing fun.

She then heard some stumbling on the stairs, realizing Brock had been upstairs. She wondered what made him think he was allowed to just enter her house without her permission, and even more, her bedroom. If that had been where he'd been, though Reba couldn't think of another place in the house he'd wanted to be. Reba started talking before seeing him, slightly annoyed with his behavior. "Brock, how the hell did you get in here? Didn't I tell you to get here later tonight, as in dinner time, to discuss… Well, everything? I.."

Reba looked up when she noticed Brock hadn't yet said a word, a very unusual thing for the usually very talkative man. Her mouth fell open when she noticed it wasn't Brock standing in front of her and that, in fact, it was Jack. Who was looking very handsome. Reba couldn't prevent a small shade of red gracing her face as she said: "Jack? What the hell are you doing inside my house?"

He couldn't help but smile, sensing he hadn't been allowed to hear what he had heard say before as he said: "Reebs! Hey. I got in with Kyra, she showed me where the key was. She showed me her room, we were playing Candy Land. I heard the front door, then I heard you yell.. I decided to get down."

"Ah." Reba nodded cursing herself for not realizing the shoes next to the front door had been Jack's. "Well, Jack.. I appreciate it that Kyra stayed with you last night, I'm sure she had a great time. I'd appreciate it if you would finish that game with Kyra and leave."

Jack was disappointed with Reba's words; he'd hoped she would let him stay for a while or at least talk to him as if they were more than two people exchanging their child. It felt so cold. "Reba… I had hoped we could talk for a bit."

Talking, talking… Reba had enough talking to do later on, and she definitely didn't feel like having a heated discussion with Jack before that. She shook her head. "No. I already have plans and I don't feel like talking to you."

"And you do feel like talking to Brock?" Jack raised his eyebrows, wondering what the earlier words Reba had uttered about Brock meant.

Reba gave him a glare. "Finish your game with Kyra and leave."

Jack knew there was no sense in arguing with Reba and nodded. "Okay. Fine. But I want you to tell me what the deal is with that Brock guy first. I have a feeling something's going on and I need you to tell me what."

"Jack… You have nothing to do with my personal life anymore, stay out of it!"

"Well, since Kyra's constantly talking about her awesome neighbor… I suggest you tell me exactly what the deal is between of the two of you."

Reba pinched her eyes, not sure where Jack was referring to. She was about to say something back when her front door opened again, and Brock walked in. He could immediately tell the two other adults were having an argument. He sighed, before saying: "What's going on?"

Jack was about to tell Brock that perhaps he could shine some light on their situation when Kyra busted down the stairs, smiling widely when she saw Brock. "Hi Mr. H!" She hugged the man, who happily hugged the little girl back before saying: "I think this isn't the time to discuss this… Is it?"

_Note: End of chapter 9... Does Jack know something's blooming between Brock and Reba? And why is Jack trying so hard to be a good man to win Reba back? More coming in the next chapter guys :) . I hope you liked it, please let me know. xx._


	11. Staring at the Ceiling

_****Note: Hi folks! My God, I feel so guilty for the huge delay this story has been having... I've barely had the time to write lately, I started working at a television broadcasting company and we've been out of the country for a long time. But, well, I guess most of you aren't too interested in that haha! Sorry for the delay, I'm still super busy but I hope I'm able to update every now and then. This chapter's not too long, but I wanted to give you guys an update. I hope it's not dissapointing, enjoy! xx._

_**Chapter 10: Staring at the ceiling**_

The little redhead looked at the adults around her, not at all feeling the tension that was building. "Can we all watch a movie together?"

Brock would've laughed if he'd been seeing something like this in a movie and was almost unable to hide a smile as he said: "I'm afraid I don't have the time, honey." His eyes briefly searched for Reba's before he said: "I already have plans. I just wanted to tell you that Cheyenne told me she's missing you and told me to give you a big hug."

Although Kyra wasn't too keen on showing emotions, it was obvious that she was pleased with the greetings of her older friend. She soon got distracted again by some puzzle pieces in the kitchen, busying herself with solving it as the three adults stood in their awkward positions, not too sure about what to do now. Brock's eyes switched from Reba to Jack, wondering what would've happened if he'd never showed up.

It was Reba who eventually cleared her throat and said: "Okay, I think we should continue this lovely conversation another time. She turned to Jack before saying: "You should go. Now. Go say goodbye to Kyra… I'll call you tomorrow if you want to discuss all of this but I'm not in the mood to do this now."

Jack shrugged, eying the redhead, knowing she wasn't planning on doing anything different than she'd just said. "Okay Red, whatever you like, we'll talk later." He gave Brock a glare before turning around to go to his daughter, calling her name before hugging the little girl.

Mere seconds later, he was gone, leaving Reba and Brock together in the living room. "You came in at the right time, huh?"

Brock shrugged. "Apparently. Anything else he was being difficult about?"

Reba chuckled. "Nah. Nothing I can't handle. Why are you here this early anyway?"

"I don't know.. I got lonely, I guess. What are you and Kyra doing for dinner? Wanna go get some pizza?"

"Nah." Reba shrugged. "How about we order in? I don't feel like going out. We… Well, we'll just talk after Kyra goes to bed, okay?"

Brock knew there was no way to come even close to arguing with Reba about this particular subject and let it pass, nodding as he said: "Fine. You make the call, I'll set the table."

* * *

Their glasses of wine were standing on the table in front of them as both were secretly wishing they'd been drinking a little bit more of the red liquid, knowing it would've given a lot less pressure on their current situation.

Brock was the first one to let out a quiet chuckle before saying: "Don't you think it's kind of ridiculous that we're both sitting on other ends of the couch?"

"Don't you think it's kind of ridiculous that we've been able to spent the entire evening together without discussing what happened?"

Brock looked at the redhead, whose cheeks had gotten a little rosier, and who was trying to avoid his eyes. He stared for a second before he said: "Well, talk. Say whatever you need to say… You know I'll listen. What is bothering you so much?"

The nonchalant attitude of Brock annoyed Reba as she stated: "Why are you being so careless? You and I… We… We've slept together. We've done stuff that… I'm Barbra Jean's friend, Brock, she's my only friend here in the neighborhood… Don't you think that this is unfair?"

"I told her I didn't want to be with her anymore, you know that…" Brock reached out to caress Reba's cheek but she brushed him away. "Why are you being so selfish? This isn't just about you or your marriage, Brock… This is about me as well. How would you feel if one of your best friends is in love with your wife?"

"You're in love with my wife?"

"Jesus, Brock.." Reba smacked his arm before continuing. "I just… Just think of what it's like for me, to spent so much time with you while I just…. I'm in love with you."

It was the first time Reba spoke those words out loud, and it frightened her. Brock, on the other hand, was completely taken aback with Reba's confession. Hearing her say those words made him feel completely happy, a feeling he had been missing with Barbra Jean for a long time.

Despite Reba's attempt to move away, he grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him before saying: "It's a good thing you're in love with me… I'm in love with you too."

Reba blinked for a moment, expecting more words to come out of Brock's mouth, which didn't happen. "Well.. Don't you think there's a problem in us saying that to each other?"

"Don't you think it's great that we both feel that way?"

"Stop doing that…"

Brock looked surprised as Reba spoke out those last words, not exactly sure what she meant. The question mark on his face was visible for Reba as well, who sighed before saying: "Why are you only able to look at the positive side of this? Negativity is obviously overruling this… Well, this." She pointed to him and then to herself to make sure Brock understood what she meant with this, which he obviously did. Reba just couldn't believe he was being so stubborn on the greatness of their confessions. What exactly was so great about it? Reba had been a horrible friend to Barbra Jean. On top of that, Reba hated the fact that she'd done to her friend what she'd been done to by Jack, which had been one of the worst things in her life.

"Reba, listen to me…" One of his hands was resting on her leg while the other one moved to her cheek, cupping it as he said: "I know that us being in love right now isn't a great timing. But you can't force yourself to not love me, and I can't force myself to not love you because I have a wife, who happens to be your friend."

Reba interrupted him before he could continue: "We could've done that if we hadn't just been giving in to temptation and sleep together! I know how it feels, Brock, and it's awful. I don't want Barbra Jean to feel that way."

"Huh… What do you mean?"

"Brock, are you kidding me?" She moved away from him and his touch as she stood up, feeling a headache coming up. "Jack cheated on me. Knowing he did that without any feelings was awful, but it would've hurt me even more if he'd been in love with another woman. It would've made me feel as if I wasn't good enough anymore. Despite the problems you and Barbra Jean are having… Don't you think she'll be hurt when she finds out about this? Knowing you're not enough for your husband? That is awful, Brock, more even than that."

Brock felt like an ass the second he realized Reba's issue with their feelings for each other had to do with her marriage to Jack. Or better said, the ending of her marriage to Jack. "Reba… I never linked you and me to you and Jack… I'm sorry."

"You're being selfish, Brock. All you can think about is your own happiness, not Barbra Jean's, not even mine."

Reba's cheeks were getting red and Brock could tell she was angry and upset. Despite knowing that, her words hurt him. "That's not true, Reba."

Reba just shook her head, not even wanting to explain herself anymore. She made her way to her staircase as she said: "I need to get some sleep, Brock, I'm tired. And upset. And I don't feel like talking anymore."

"We can't just leave this conversation here, Reba."

"Watch me." She made her way up the stairs, praying Brock would stay behind as she tried to reach her bedroom as quick as she could. Old feelings were stirring up again, feelings that Reba hoped she would never have again. Hurt, anger… Why was she still so upset about her failed marriage? Reba's feelings were a total blur, completely shaken up by her own confession to Brock, and the words he'd told her in return. Shouldn't she be ecstatic that the man she was in love with, loved her as well?

Reba let herself fall on her bed, sighing out loud as she was fighting her tears while staring at the ceiling. She felt guilty for cheating on her friend. She felt miserable because seeing Jack and thinking about her failed marriage made her feel guilty towards her daughter. And she felt sad, sad because the man she was in love with was a man she shouldn't have loved in the first place; the husband of her best friend.


End file.
